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TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Preamble ... ... ... ... ... ... 3 Obituary—Lt.-Col. B. H. Ryves ... ... ... ... 6 List of Contributors ... ... ... ... ... 7 Cornish Notes ... ... ... ... ... ... 9 Arrival and Departure Tables ... ... ... ... 42 The Isles of Scilly ... ... ... ... ... 47 Arrival and Departure of Migrants in the Isles of Scilly ... 55 The Breeding Habits of the Corn-Bunting ... ... 57 Supplementary Notes on the Breeding Habits of the Corn- Bunting ... ... ... ... ... ... 77 Our Society and the Protection of Birds Act ... ... 86 Wildfowl Counts in Cornwall ... ... ... ... 87 Melancoose Reservoir, Newquay ... ... ... ... 88 Bird Notes from the Bishop Rock Lighthouse ... ... 89 Survey of Whinchat and Stonechat ... ... ... 95 Forest Types and Common Forest Birds in West Cornwall ... 97 The Macmillan Library ... ... ... ... ... 104 The Society's Rules ... ... ... ... ... 106 Balance Sheet ... ... ... ... ... ... 107 List of Members ... ... ... ... ... 108 Committees for 1960 and 1961 ... ... ... ... 122 Index 123 THIRTIETH REPORT OF The Cornwall Bird-Watching and Preservation Society 1960 Edited by J. E. BECKERLEGGE & G. ALLSOP (kindly assisted by H. M. QUICK, R. H. BLAIR & A. G. PARSONS) The Society Membership now exceeds seven hundred; during the year, forty have joined the Society, but losses by death and resigna tion were fourteen. On February 6th a meeting was held at the Museum in Truro, at which a talk on " Bird recognition in the field," by Mr. Parsons, was followed by a discussion. The twenty-ninth Annual General Meeting was held in Truro on April 23rd under the chairmanship of Dr. Blair. At this meeting Sir Edward Bolitho, Dr. Blair, Mr. Martyn, Col. Ryves, the Rev. J. E. Beckerlegge and Dr. Allsop were re-elected as President, Chair man, Treasurer and Secretaries, respectively. Under Rule 6, Col. Almond, Col. Bertram, Mrs. Birtill, Mrs. Meares and Mrs. Visick retired from the Executive Committee and Miss Jones, Miss Pick- thall, Mr. Goddard, Mr. Khan, Mr. Parsons and Mr. T. J. Stephens were elected to it. At this meeting Dr. Coombs illustrated a talk about " Birds in Spain " by means of a film of his own making. At the Autumn Meeting held in Truro on October 8th Mr. D. R. Wilson, the Secretary of the British Trust for Ornithology, spoke about the Trust's activities and also presented a film of bird life in Foula. There was one meeting of the Executive Committee during the year. The River Board responsible for the Wadebridge area intends to alter the course of the Amble river so as to reduce the flooding risk. This will have considerable effect on the Walmsley Sanctuary and make it pointless to erect the proposed Memorial Observation Hut at the selected site. Consequently it was suggested that instead of an observation hut the funds should be spent on improving and, if possible, extending the sanctuary as a memorial to its former guardian the late T. J. Willcocks. At the Autumn Meeting this suggestion was approved and it is hoped that the work may be done whilst the River Board is altering the river course. This year there have been field days led by Col. Almond, Mr. Parsons, Miss Paynter (deputising for Mrs. Carter who was ill), Mr. Stevens and Miss Whelan. It is hoped to have field days at all places of ornithological interest throughout the county so that mem bers may become well acquainted with its bird life. 3 There is now a new stretch of fresh water, the Newquay-Porth (Melancoose) reservoir, in the county. The Water Board and Mr. Broughton, the Manager, have been good enough to grant the Society a permit, valid for a year, for up to three members of the Society at a time to visit the reservoir. As no shooting is allowed, it is to be expected that there will be a gradual build up of appropriate bird life there. Will anyone wishing to visit the reservoir please write to a secretary giving date of proposed visit and names of those going so that the requisite permit can be issued? The Society, helped by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the Council for Nature, was represented at the Inquiry held at St. Austell into the proposed development at Par Beach and Polmear; the result of it is not yet known. Amongst the more unusual casual and accidental visitors this year were a Yellow-browed Warbler at Landewednack, a Great Reed Warbler at Par Beach, Rose-coloured Starlings at Saltash and St. Just-in-Penwith, a Collared Dove near the Lizard and Mediterranean Black-headed Gulls at St. Ives. On the Isles of Scilly a Rustic Bunting, a White-spotted Bluethroat, an Eastern Rufous Turtle Dove and a Bartran's Sandpiper occurred. This issue of the Report is a memorial number to the late Col. B. H. Ryves, the founder of the Society. Two of his more important papers are, by kind permission of " British Birds," included in it. The late Mrs. MacMillan has made a bequest of five hundred pounds and three valuable rings to the Society. For this the Society is grateful. During the year two papers by members were printed in tech nical journals. Dr. Coombs' paper on the Rook in South-west Cornwall was published in the " Ibis " and Mr. Parsons' notes on the wintering in Cornwall of Greenshank, Spotted Redshank, Green Sandpiper and Common Sandpiper appeared in the " Proceedings of the 12th International Ornithological Congress." Copies of these papers may be borrowed from the Society's library. Shooting of sea birds occurred at Godrevy Island in April. The matter was reported to the police who took quick action to stop the offence. Again members are asked to send their mainland records for the year to the Rev. J. E. Beckerlegge before January 15th. Records arriving after that date may be too late for inclusion in the Report. Isles of Scilly records should be sent to Miss H. M. Quick before January 15th. Members should send their contributions to the Treasurer and not to a secretary. Will members who change their addresses please notify the Treasurer as soon as possible. The Society is again indebted to Mr. Wills for auditing the accounts. The Society is indebted to Mrs. U. Menhinick, sister of the late Mr. T. J. Willcocks, for the gift of some books and journals; particulars of these will be found in the Library list. At the Annual General Meeting, 1961, Mr. N. R. Phillips and Lt.-Col. W. E. Almond were elected joint Honorary Secretaries in the place of Col. B. H. Ryves (deceased), and Dr. G. Allsop (resigned). 4 PEREGRINE ENQUIRY. Mr. R. B. Treleaven, Rockmount, Dutson Road, Launceston, is undertaking for Cornwall the B.T.O. enquiry on the Peregrine. Would members please send him any records they have of Peregrines breeding or suspected breeding, either pre-war or post-war, of kills made—in fact, any information at all. STONECHAT ENQUIRY. Mr. N. R. Phillips, 5, The Crescent, Alexandra Road, St. Ives, is undertaking for Cornwall the B.T.O. enquiry on the Stonechat. Would members please send him all records of Stonechats that they have for 1961. CIRL-BUNTING ENQUIRY. The Revd. J. E. Beckerlegge, St. Crowan Vicarage, Praze, Camborne, is undertaking an enquiry on the distribution of the Cirl- Bunting in the County. Would members please send him all records they have for this species. 5 BENJAMIN HERVEY RYVES (1876-1961) Our founder, Lieut.-Col. Benjamin Hervey Ryves, died on Tues day, 21st February in Tehidy Chest Hospital at the age of 85. Born in Multan in the West Punjab, he was educated at Westward Ho! and Sandhurst and passed into the Indian Army in 1896, remaining in that service until invalided out in 1921, when he settled at St. Mawgan. Thirty years ago, in 1931, he founded our Society and has remained a Secretary ever since, though of late years his activities have been restricted. Thanks largely to his inspiration the Society has grown steadily to its present membership of about 700, and its reports have a high reputation. In 1934 " British Birds " published his articles on polygamy in the Corn Bunting based on three years intensive study, in which he was assisted by Mrs. Ryves. They are reprinted in this Report. They proved that most males were polygamous, having from two to seven hens each. He was a regular contributor of Nature Notes to the " Western Morning News," and many articles from his pen, mainly on breeding biology, appeared in " British Birds," " Bird Notes and News," and other periodicals. His book " Bird Life in Cornwall," which was published in 1948, provides a rich mine of information on the status and habits of Cornish birds in the first half of this century. An ardent crusader for bird protection in all its aspects, in addition to legal action whenever applicable, he pioneered a system of rewards for protection of nesting haunts of rare birds, with bonuses for successful fledgings. While constant vigilance is still needed, public opinion, which he helped to mould together with the penal clauses of the new Protection of Birds Act, have now largely curtailed the activities of those arch-enemies, the egg-collector and the unscrupulous man-with-a-gun. We shall remember him with affection and esteem not only as an ornithologist of national reputation, but as a dear friend and a warm-hearted gentleman of the old school. To Mrs. Ryves and the family we extend our deep sympathy. 6 LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS G. A. Dr. G. Allsop W. E. A. Lt.-Col. W. E. Almond P. A. & M. A. The Misses Aspinall J. E. B. Revd. J. E. Beckerlegge A. B. A. Beswetherick E. H. W. B. Lt.-Col. Sir Edward Bolitho J. C. B. J. C.